Amos 5

1 Hear [listen attentively, obey] this word [message, declaration], O house [family, descendants] of Israel [Jacob’s descendants, God’s chosen people], this lamentation [dirge, funeral song, expression of sorrow] I take up [lift, raise] against [over, concerning] you [as a warning, in judgment]: word study 2 “Fallen [utterly defeated, cast down] is Virgin [a chaste and untouched bride] Israel [the symbolic name of Jacob, referring to his descendants], never [not at all, under no circumstances] to rise [be lifted up, stand again] again. She lies [has been laid, is stretched out] abandoned [forsaken, left to herself] on her land [the earth, the ground], with no one [none, nothing] to raise [lift up, stand her up] her up.” word study 3 This is what the Lord [Adonay, the sovereign Master] GOD [Yehovah] says: “The city [a place of dwelling, a community] that marches out a thousand [a large number, a multitude] strong will only see a hundred [a smaller group, a remnant] return, and the one that marches out a hundred [a company, a band] strong will have but ten [a small number, a few] left in the house [a dwelling place, a family] of Israel [God’s chosen people, the descendants of Jacob].” word study 4 For [because of this reason] this is what the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] says to the house [family, dwelling place] of Israel: “Seek [to ask, to worship] Me [personally, intimately] and live [to have life, to be revived]! word study 5 Do not [refuse to, absolutely not] seek [search for, inquire of] Bethel [the house of God, a sacred place] or go [travel to, enter] to Gilgal [a place of pagan worship, a rolling wheel]; do not [never, under no circumstances] journey [travel, make a pilgrimage] to Beersheba [the well of the sevenfold oath, a city in Palestine], for [because, since] Gilgal [the place of rolling wheels, a region in Palestine] will surely [without a doubt, certainly] go into exile [be taken captive, be led away], and Bethel [the house of God, a place of worship] will come to nothing [be unprofitable, become vanity, amount to nothing]. word study 6 Seek [diligently, with all your heart] the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] and live [have life, be revived], or He will sweep [break out, rush] like fire [burning, flame] through the house [family, dwelling place] of Joseph [Jehovah has added]; it will devour [eat, consume] everything, with no one [nothing, none] at Bethel [house of God, a significant location] to extinguish [quench, put out] it. word study 7 There are those who turn [pervert, distort] justice [God’s righteous judgment] into wormwood [a poisonous plant] and cast [throw down, reject] righteousness [moral virtue, God’s attribute] to the ground [the land, the earth, the world]. word study 8 He who made [created, formed] the Pleiades [a cluster of seven stars] and Orion [a constellation, a sign in the heavens], who turns [overturns, transforms] darkness [the shadow of death, deep gloom] into dawn [morning, a new beginning] and darkens [makes dark, conceals] day [a period of light, a time of understanding] into night [a time of darkness, a period of rest], who summons [calls, invites] the waters [a source of life] of the sea [a large body of water] and pours [spills, sheds] them over [upon, onto] the face [the surface, the presence] of the earth [the land, the physical world]— the LORD is His name— word study 9 He flashes [sends sudden, with a smile] destruction [violence, ruin] on the strong [mighty, fierce], so that fury [destruction, social sin] comes upon [against, above] the stronghold [fortress, fortified place, castle]. word study 10 There are those who hate [intensely dislike, feel hostility towards] the one who reproves [rebukes, corrects, argues against] in the gate [city entrance, place of judgment] and despise [abhor, detest] him who speaks [communicates, utters words] with integrity [uprightly, perfectly, unblemished]. word study 11 Therefore, because [as a consequence of your actions] you trample [oppress, tread down] on the poor [weak, needy] and exact [take, impose] from him a tax [tribute, burden] of grain [wheat, crops], you will never live [dwell, reside] in the stone [hewn, cut] houses [buildings, dwellings] you have built [constructed, established]; you will never drink [consume, enjoy] the wine [fermented drink, intoxicating beverage] from the lush [pleasant, delightful] vineyards [gardens, orchards] you have planted [established, cultivated]. word study 12 For I know [am fully aware] that your transgressions [rebellions, sins] are many [numerous, abundant] and your sins [guilt, iniquities] are numerous [mighty, powerful]. You oppress [afflict, wrong] the righteous [just, upright] by taking [receiving, accepting] bribes [rewards, ransom]; you deprive [turn aside, deny] the poor [needy, oppressed] of justice [right, fair treatment] in the gate [public place, court]. word study 13 Therefore [so, thus], the prudent [wise, circumspect] keep silent [hold their peace, say nothing] in such times [in that evil time, during this period], for [because, since] the days [time, occasion] are evil [bad, morally wicked, referring to moral or natural harm]. word study 14 Seek [pursue, go after] good [what is beneficial, pleasing], not [refrain from] evil [moral harm, adversity], so that you may live [have life, be revived]. And the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God], the God [Elohim, the supreme God] of Hosts [armies, large groups], will be with [near, in close relationship] you, as [in the manner, to the extent] you have claimed [spoken, said]. word study 15 Hate [intensely despise] evil [moral wickedness] and love [have affection for] good [what is morally right]; establish [set up permanently] justice [righteous judgment] in the gate [public place of judgment]. Perhaps [it may be] the LORD [Yehovah, God of covenant], the God [Elohim, supreme ruler] of Hosts [armies of heaven], will be gracious [show kindness and mercy] to the remnant [what is left after destruction] of Joseph [Jehovah has added].” word study 16 Therefore this is what the LORD [Yehovah, the God of the covenant], the God of Hosts [the Lord of armies, the commander of heavenly forces], the Lord [Adonay, the sovereign Master], says: “There will be wailing [lamentation, mourning] in all the public squares [broad ways, streets] and cries of ‘Alas! Alas!’ [oh no, woe is us] in all the streets. The farmer [husbandman, agricultural worker] will be summoned to mourn [to lament, to grieve], and the mourners [those who are skilful in lamentation, professional wailers] to wail [to lament, to mourn]. word study 17 There will be wailing [mourning, lamentation] in all [every, each] the vineyards [gardens of vines, plots of land], for [because, since] I will pass [cross over, transition] through your midst [inner part, entrails],” says [speaks, declares] the LORD [Yehovah, the Lord God]. word study 18 Woe [sorrow, calamity] to you who long [desire, yearn] for the Day [a period of time, a special occasion] of the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God]! What [why, to what end] will the Day of the LORD be for you? It will be [result in, become] darkness [absence of light, misery] and not [none, without] light [happiness, spiritual illumination]. word study 19 It will be like a man [fleeing in terror] who flees [runs away quickly] from a lion, only to encounter [meet by chance or intention] a bear [a slow-moving animal], or who enters [goes into, approaches] his house [a dwelling place, a place of rest] and rests [leans, supports] his hand [an open hand; strength, a side or share] against the wall [a barrier, a divider], only to be bitten [attacked, harmed] by a snake [a serpent]. word study 20 Will not [certainly not, by no means] the Day [a period of time, a season of judgment] of the LORD [Yehovah, the covenant God] be darkness [spiritual and physical gloom] and not [absolutely not] light [illumination, happiness], even [very, extremely] gloom [a dark and shadowy place] with no [none, absolutely none] brightness [nogah, shining, radiance] in it? word study 21 “I hate [intensely dislike, feel hostility towards], I despise [reject, spurn] your feasts [festivals, celebrations]! I cannot stand [will not tolerate, am disgusted by] the stench [offensive smell, foul odor] of your solemn assemblies [sacred meetings, gatherings]. word study 22 Even though you offer Me [as an act of worship] burnt offerings [sacrifices completely consumed by fire] and grain offerings [gifts of crops or food], I will not accept [be pleased with] them; for your peace offerings [voluntary sacrifices to show thanks] of fattened cattle [well-fed animals, fatlings] I will have no regard [not look at, not care about]. word study 23 Take away from Me [remove, turn aside] the noise [tumult, crowd] of your songs [melodies, psalms]! I will not [absolutely not, under no circumstances] listen to the music [melody, harmony] of your harps [stringed instruments, psalteries]. word study 24 But let justice [judgment, righteous judgment] roll on [flow down, run down] like a river [waters, a mighty stream], and righteousness [virtue, moral integrity] like an ever-flowing [perennial, mighty] stream [brook, valley]. word study 25 Did you bring Me [as an act of worship, with reverence] sacrifices [offerings to atone for sin] and offerings [gifts to honor God] forty [a significant period of testing] years in the wilderness [a desert, a place of spiritual testing], O house [family, descendants, a dwelling place] of Israel [God’s chosen people, descendants of Jacob]? word study 26 You have taken along Sakkuth [a Babylonian deity] your king and Kaiwan [Chiun, a statue or idol] your star god [a celestial body], the idols [images, illusions] you made [created, fashioned] for yourselves [on your own, by your own hands]. word study 27 Therefore I will send [forcefully exile, cause to go into captivity] you into exile [as prisoners, into a distant land] beyond [further than, to a distance] Damascus [the capital city of Syria],” says the LORD [Yehovah, the God of Israel], whose name [identity, honor, and character] is the God [Elohim, the supreme Being] of Hosts [armies, powerful forces]. word study